Internal Affairs
by protejerinnocencia
Summary: With Munch retiring from the SVU squad, who will be his replacement? The new team member has baggage. Can she keep it hidden or will she have to confront it, face to face? SVUCriminal Minds
1. Hello and Goodbye

**Hello and Goodbye**

Olivia looked up from the report in her hand, her eyes catching the time on the clock on top of the TV. She set the report on the arm of the couch to her left and headed into the kitchen. As if on cue the oven timer went 'ding' and she donned oven mitts to pull out two trays of chocolate cupcakes. She set the trays on the counter and pulled off the mitts, searching frantically around the kitchen for the frosting. Just as she found it, her cell phone began to vibrate, bouncing its way towards the edge of the kitchen table. She reached for it, trying to open the container of frosting with one hand.

"Benson," she spoke, balancing the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"Olivia…where are you? The party's about to start," Elliot replied from the other end.

"I know…I'll be there. I just have to take care of something first," Olivia explained. S he wanted her dessert idea to surprise them all.

"Ok," her partner muttered and hung up. Olivia flipped her phone shut and tossed it on the table, giving the container of frosting all of her attention. Twenty minutes later all of the cupcakes were frosted and placed neatly on a tray. She set them in the back of her car and headed for the precinct. She pulled into the garage and climbed out, nearly colliding with Casey in the process.

"Oh good. I'm not the only one who's late," Casey murmured, offering Olivia a hand with the tray.

"Yeah," Olivia agreed as the two women walked up the stairs.

The sight that met them at the top of the stairs was astounding. Balloons clung to almost every surface of the room and Munch sat in Cragen's leather chair.

"Someone care to explain what the hell is going on?" Casey questioned, trying very hard not to laugh.

"I'm being treated like a King," Munch informed her, flashing her a smirk.

"Well don't expect me to bow down and kiss your feet," the ADA muttered, making a beeline for the punch. Elliot greeted Casey with a quick "hello" as he headed for where his partner stood.

"Cupcakes?" he asked.

"Yeah…I made cupcakes," she answered, the room suddenly growing quiet.

"You mean you bought them, right?" Fin interjected.

"No, Fin. I made them," Olivia repeated.

"You bake?" Elliot asked, sounding rather amused.

"Yes. For Munch….I bake," the female detective replied.

"I'm honored," Munch said with a smile.

The party continued on, everyone enjoying themselves. Fin was currently on his third cupcake with a fourth already on his plate. Olivia couldn't help but laugh at him.

"What's so funny?" Fin shot, pulling the wrapper off the rest of the partially eaten baked good.

"You've had three. You're going to be sick. And I'm not going to hold your head while you puke," Olivia retorted.

"I have a high tolerance," Fin remarked.

"I thought that was for alcohol. I didn't know it applied to chocolate too," Munch commented from the drink table.

"I think Olivia should bake for every party," Elliot called over the small crowd.

"Oh no. I told you...only for Munch," Olivia informed her partner.

"Has anyone seen the Captain?" Casey asked, suddenly noting his absence.

"He was here to help set up but then he peaced out," Fin answered, starting to reach for another cupcake. Olivia darted over, picking up the tray and walking away.

"Now that's not fair," he shouted after her.

"You've been cut off, my friend," Munch teased. Casey couldn't help but laugh along with Munch at the crestfallen look on Fin's face. Olivia set the tray down on her desk and stood in front of it, barring Fin's way. Just then Cragen walked in.

"Welcome back, Captain," Munch greeted his superior.

"How's everything going here?" Don inquired.

"Olivia made cupcakes. Try some," Fin stated immediately, sending the squad into giggles.

"I think Fin's secretly a chocolate addict," Olivia whispered in Cragen's ear, handing him a cupcake.

"Thanks," Cragen stated, indicating the baked good and headed to pour himself some punch. They'd elected not to have alcohol. They didn't want to tempt Cragen.

"Well, we're all really going to miss you, John," Elliot finally announced.

"Yeah…it won't be the same around here without you," Olivia agreed.

"Who am I going to sit and listen to spew conspiracy theories?" Fin asked.

"I'm going to miss you all too. I'm sure I'll see you around…I'm still a cop at heart," Munch replied sincerely. He'd been with the unit for eight years. It was a long time for this line of work and he was both glad and saddened to be leaving. Sure he wouldn't have to deal with the heart breaking cases everyday but it didn't mean he wouldn't still see them on the streets.

Down on the street below a car pulled up to the front of the building. The lights went off and then the engine, the drive just sitting there, staring at the building. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and checked herself in the rearview mirror. She pulled some foundation from her purse and applied it to under her eyes. She looked so much older than she was. She guessed that's what the stress of her line of work would do to people. Satisfied with her appearance, she climbed out of the car and with a concussive 'slam' shut her door and walked up the stone steps. She reached the second floor and heard loud voices and laughter. This had to be the right place. Confidently she walked in to see balloons strewn everywhere and six people lounging around.

"Can I help you?" Elliot asked of the woman who had just appeared in their midst.

"I'm looking for Captain Don Cragen," she answered.

"I'm Cragen," Don called and motioned for her to follow him into his office. She did so dutifully, her gaze landing one ach cop in turn.

"Who is that?" Fin asked as the door shut.

"No clue," Olivia murmured. She picked up her glass of punch and took a sip, her gaze locked on the door. She got a funny feeling about this woman.

"Olivia," John interrupted her thoughts. She looked over.

"What?"

"You ok?" the older cop asked.

"I'm fine," Olivia answered shortly and averted her gaze from the door just as it opened again and Cagen emerged, followed by the woman.

"Not to ruin the party or kick you out, John but this your replacement," Cragen began. John stood up and extended his hand to the woman.

"This is Detective Elle Greenaway," Don finished. Elle almost cringed at the word 'detective'. She had bit her tongue to keep from saying that was a 'Special Agent'. She took Munch's hand and shook it.

"I hear I have some pretty impressive shoes to fill," she said with a small smile on her lips. John just chuckled and dropped her hand. She looked at the other people in the room.

"I' Olivia and this is my partner, Elliot," Olivia introduced.

"You must get tired of introducing each other to people," Elle commented.

"It comes with the job," Elliot muttered, shrugging it off.

"And this is Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak," Cragen introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Casey said, giving Elle a firm handshake.

"You're welcome to join the party, Detective," Cragen told Elle.

"Please, just call me Elle," Elle instructed. The surveyed the group once more before accepting a glass of punch. This was certainly going to be a change. There wasn't going to be long plane rides. Maybe this is just what she needed.


	2. Table for Two

**Table for Two**

Elle pulled the printer paper box out of the back of her car and balanced it on her leg so she could shut the door. Once she had situated the box in her arms, she maneuvered her way around the few cars in the garage and out onto the street. She caught sight of Olivia heading in and attempted to run to catch up.

"Hold the door," Elle called out just as Olivia disappeared inside. To Elle's relief the other cop held the door open with a smile, letting Elle pass her.

"Move in day," Olivia commented, indicating the box. Elle nodded and followed Liv upstairs. Elle sat down at Munch's old desk and took the top off of the box. She surveyed the minimal contents of the box. She laid the desk calendar underneath her keyboard and placed a picture of her father on the back edge of the desk. She tossed some pencils and pens into the center desk drawer. Finally Elle reached in and her fingers grazed the other picture frame she'd brought with her. She glanced around the squad room and nervously put the picture next to the one of her father. A happy looking Reid stared back at her, his arm draped lightly about her shoulders. Seeing him made her smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Olivia asked, resting her arms on Elle's desk. The new detective jumped slightly.

"Oh…nothing. Just…organizing," Elle muttered. She caught Olivia looking at the two pictures. Liv's hand was reaching towards the picture of Elle and Reid, causing Elle to quickly grab it.

"I just realized there's a crack in the glass," Ellie lied. All of a sudden she felt very uncomfortable in the other detective's presence. She knew it was almost impossible but there was still that tiny inkling of a chance that the squad would ask questions.

"You sure?" Liv pressed, trying to see the picture again.

"Yeah. I'm sure," Elle replied forcefully, shoving the picture back into her box. Liv just shrugged and walked away. Elle breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she watched the other detective return to her desk. She would have to be more careful around the other detectives.

"Liv, can I see you in my office," Cragen called, motioning for her with his hand. Liv took her hands off the keyboard of her computer and walked into the captain's office. He shut the door and sat down behind his own desk.

"What's up, Captain?" she asked.

"Have a seat," he instructed. She sat down across from him and eyed her superior nervously.

"I want you to take Detective Greenaway for a tour of the city. Get her acclimated to the area," Don explained. Olivia just stared at him.

"Did you just ask me to baby sit the rookie?" she asked, sounding insulted.

"Olivia, just think of it as getting to know her. You're going to be working with her on cases," he said, giving her a fatherly look.

"Did Elliot take Dani out on a tour of the city too?" she shot angrily.

"Excuse me?" Cragen countered.

"Forget it," Liv muttered and stormed out of the office. Before she got too far she was stopped by Fin.

"You ok? You look really pissed," he whispered.

"I have to baby sit the rookie," Liv said through pursed lips. Fin did his best not to laugh.

"Liv come on. It can't be that bad. She seems nice enough. Just…go to lunch or something," Fin suggested.

"I'd figure you'd be happy to have another female detective on the squad," he added.

"I'd prefer the testosterone," she muttered back as she once more approached Elle's desk. Elle was focused on the computer screen before her. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed with precision. She didn't even notice that Olivia was hovering next to her.

"You missed a letter," Liv pointed out, making Elle jump.

"Christ, don't hover like that," Elle replied.

"Sorry," Liv apologized. Elle finished the email and hit the 'send' button.

"The Captain wants me to show you around the city," Liv said after a brief silence.

"You're kidding right? I'm a big girl. I can find my way around. Besides I've been to the city quite a bit," Elle retorted. Liv couldn't help but smile. At least it seemed as absurd to Elle as it did to her.

"Well…he won't get off my back until we at least leave," Liv sighed.

"Well…it's about lunch time. You want to grab a bite?" Elle offered. Liv nodded and the two women headed towards the stairs. Fin caught Olivia's eye and flashed her a smirk. Once the two women were gone, Elliot looked over at the other cop.

"What was that about?" Elliot questioned.

"Liv just doesn't like change," Fin answered. Elliot shrugged and turned his attention back to the report he was typing up.

Down in the parking garage they were climbing into Liv's car. Elle pulled the seatbelt across her chest and had to reposition it so it didn't irritate the scar. She shuddered slightly as images of that horrific event flashed before her.

"You ok?" Liv questioned as she pulled out of the garage.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a chill," Elle lied. The car ride was silent, each woman lost in her respective thoughts. Elle finally broke the silence.

"How about we try there," he said, pointing to a small café on the left-hand side of the street.

"Sure," Liv agreed and maneuvered the car until she had parallel parked between two other cars.

Shortly they found themselves seated at a table near the back of the café. The waitress handed them each menus and left them to peruse.

"So, how long have you been with Special Victims?" Elle asked as she flipped a page of the menu.

"Eight years," Olivia replied as the waitress returned, pen and pad in hand.

"Can we have a few more minutes, that would be great," Liv addressed the brunette. The woman nodded and disappeared.

"Eight years. That's a long time. I worked in Seattle for a while," Elle said. She wasn't sure if she should mention her time at the BAU. IT was still a sore subject in the back of her mind.

"Doing what?" Olivia pressed. The waitress returned and this time they ordered.

"Sex crimes," Elle answered with a small laugh.

"Guess you're in the right unit then," Liv chuckled.

"Yeah, you could say that," Elle murmured as their waitress dropped off their drinks.

"So what professions were your parents in?" Liv asked after they'd contemplated their drinks for a few minutes.

"My dad was a cop but….he died in the line of duty when I was eight," Elle answered.

"I'm sorry," Liv said, placing a consoling hand on Elle's forearm.

"Thanks. It was a long time ago. What about you?" the other detective asked. Liv averted her gaze.

"My mother….was an alcoholic. She died six years ago. I never knew my father," Liv admitted as their meals were brought out.

"Wow…I…that must have made for a rough childhood," Elle murmured.

"Yeah it wasn't the best. But…I survived," Liv answered. They fell into silence as they ate their meals. Liv was about to reach for her wallet when Elle stopped her.

"I got it. Don't worry about it," Elle said, tossing a couple of bills on the table.

"You sure?" Liv asked and Elle nodded. Just as they were about to head back to Liv's car, a piercing scream echoed down the street. Liv sprinted outside, trying to find the point of origin.

"Over there," Elle pointed. She saw a middle-aged woman standing over a body. Elle and Liv jogged across the street, dodging a couple taxis until they reached the other side.

"Ma'am, what happened?" Elle asked.

"He just…collapsed," the woman answered, her voice shaking along with her body. Liv bent over the young man and felt for a pulse. It took her to find it. It was weak and thread-like. She began CPR as Elle tried to calm the woman down.

"Call an ambulance," Liv shouted at Elle. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed.

"I need a bus, young male collapsed," Elle called in. She gave the address and hung up.

"ETA about five minutes," Elle said and bent down. The young man had a bag slung over one shoulder. It looked familiar to her. She reached inside it and looked at the wallet. She flipped it open and her heart almost stopped.

"Let me try," Elle demanded and practically pushed Olivia aside. It was him alright. She began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth until he finally coughed a breath.

Elle heaved a sigh of relief as the ambulance sirens blared. His eyes fluttered open for a moment, gazing blearily up at her. She placed a finger to her lips to indicate he should be quiet. The medics arrived and loaded him onto a gurney.

"You want to ride with him?" Liv asked. Elle swallowed, but shook her head.

"You can. I'll meet you at the hospital," Elle answered, slightly shaken. Liv handed her the keys.

"We're going to Bellevue," Liv called as the paramedic shut the doors.


	3. Divergent Roads

**Divergent Roads**

Elle pulled into the parking garage at Bellevue. Her hands were slightly shaking and her heart was still pounding. What the hell was Reid doing in New York? She hurriedly climbed out of the car and headed towards the elevator. She wasn't sure what floor they had taken Reid too so she decided she would try the first floor and check with reception. She got as far as the first set of automatic doors when she spotted Olivia, pacing back and forth.

"How is he?" Elle asked, slightly out of breath.

"They're stabilizing him. Once he's coherent enough to talk, we'll see what he has to say," Olivia answered.

"Did he…say anything on the ride over?" Elle probed.

"Not really. It's pretty hard to talk through an oxygen mask," the other detective remarked. Elle had to bite her tongue to keep from saying 'you don't have to tell me that'. Just then a young man in a lab coat approached them.

"Detectives. He's awake if you'd like to talk to him. He's a bit sedated but he should be able to talk," he addressed. Liv and Elle both nodded and followed him down the hall, up a flight of stairs and down a second hallway. Elle peered into the doorway and she shuddered at the sight before. He looked so pale and small in the hospital bed.

"Did you get a name?" Liv asked.

"Spencer," he answered. Armed with that knowledge, Liv walked in and the doctor walked away. Elle stayed rooted to the spot. She wasn't sure she could face him. She was still shaken by the fact that he almost died. The young man in the bed, slowly opened his eyes when he heard the seat next to the bed squeak.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice was scratchy.

"My name is Olivia. I'm one of the detectives that found you when you collapsed," Liv explained.

"Do you remember what happened, Spencer?" she asked.

"No one calls me that," he muttered. Elle listened carefully, trying to pick up on anything that might tell her what had happened.

"What do people call you then?" Olivia inquired. Before he could answer, Elle walked in and answered for him.

"Dr. Reid," she said. Reid tried to sit up at the sight of Elle.

"Just relax," she said, her voice soft.

"What…what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, Reid," she replied, pulling up a chair next to Olivia.

"You know him?" Liv muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Friend of mine," Elle answered.

"So do you remember what happened? What might have made you collapse?" Elle asked, placing a gentle hand atop his.

"I…was walking and then the next thing I remember clearly was waking up here," Reid answered. He looked down at his right arm. He had several gauze bandages wrapped around his arm. He could feel his heart start to pump faster. What if they found out. Then everyone would know.

"Detectives, can I have a minute?" the doctor from before called, reappearing in the doorway. Olivia nodded and she and Elle followed him a few paces down the hallway.

"We just ran tox on his blood and he had high levels of cocaine in his system as well high levels some psychedelic drugs," he explained.

"Are you telling me he overdosed?" Elle asked, starting to get angry. How dare this man accuse Reid of doing drugs. He would never be that stupid.

"Yes. I am. Whatever combination of drugs he was using was pretty strong stuff. If you hadn't started CPR when you did, he'd be lying on a slab in the morgue right now," the doctor answered.

"Thanks, doc," Liv said and he began to walk away once more.

"Hey, Doc. Can you send a copy of the report of to Manhattan SVU?" she called and he nodded. It was time to deal with the rookie. Liv turned to face Elle.

"Let me guess, you didn't know he was doing drugs?" she asked.

"No. He wouldn't be that stupid. He's….a genius. He deals with drug addicts all the time. He knows what it can do to a person," Elle replied sharply.

"When's the last time you saw him?" Liv pressed.

"I don't know…six…seven months maybe," she admitted.

"Guess he's not as good a friend as you thought," Liv muttered. Elle just pushed past her partner and cornered Reid.

"Do Hotch and Gideon know you're using?" she asked, her voice harsh.

"What? Elle, what are you talking about?" he asked, trying to play the innocent card.

"You overdosed, Reid. How could you be so stupid!" she railed.

"They…don't know," he murmured, his gaze averted.

"How long has it been going on?" she demanded.

"You know what, Elle. It's not your business. You left the team, you quit on us. Maybe if you'd been around you would have known," he shot back at her.

"Alright, that's enough," Olivia intervened. She had to physically drag Elle away from the bed. Sparks flew between Elle and Reid and Liv ended up dragging Elle out of the room.

"What the hell was that. He's not a suspect," Liv demanded.

"I'm sorry. I just…was shocked and didn't know what else to do," Elle mumbled.

"So you verbally attack him?" the other detective questioned.

"No one else on the team is doing anything. They're just sitting there and letting it happen…but then again…that's what they're good at," Elle grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing," Elle shot, starting to pace down the hallway. Olivia followed her and barred her way.

"You two were more than just casual friends. You worked together, didn't you," Olivia stated. It was definitely more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. We did. Happy?" Elle answered, arms crossed over her chest. Suddenly a light went off in Olivia's head.

"He was the guy in the picture on your desk," she breathed, just as her phone began to ring. Elle didn't say anything. She just waited for Olivia to get off the phone. She couldn't believe so much of her past was catching up to her here. She thought New York would be a fresh start. She'd landed this job without a recommendation from the BAU and yet here she was, knee deep her first day with Reid.

"We have to go. We have a rape victim," Olivia announced once she'd hung up.

"We're just going to leave him here?" Elle asked, looking incredulously at Olivia.

"He's not our main concern right now," Liv answered and took her keys from Elle, heading downstairs towards the parking garage. Elle glanced back quickly and had to wipe away a tear.


	4. En el barrio

**En el barrio**

Fifteen minutes later the two detectives pulled up to a brick apartment building. There was an ambulance already there and a small group of people were gathered around the paramedic. Liv stepped out and made her way through the crowd.

"What do we have?" Liv asked the medic. A young girl, no more than fifteen years old was sitting on a gurney, knees drawn to her chest, tears staining her dark cheeks.

"She won't let me examine her," he answered, sounding annoyed. Liv had to keep from making a snide remark. She put herself between the man and the young girl.

"Honey, my name is Olivia. I'm with the police. Can you tell me what happened?" Liv stated softly.

"No quiero hablar sobre eso," the girl answered in watery Spanish.

"Sé que tu eres espantado pero está bien. Tu me puedes decir," Liv said confidently. The girl just pulled her knees closer to her chest. Olivia looked over her shoulder at Elle, giving her a head nod towards the family. Elle approached a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties.

"Perdóneme, Señora, usted es la madre de esa joven?" Elle asked with a slight Cuban accent.

"Sí. She is mi hija," the woman answered in fragmented Spanish and English.

"We'd like your permission to take her to the hospital to examine her," Elle explained slowly. The woman seemed to follow every word carefully, straining to understand it.

"Porque?" the woman asked defensively.

"We just want to help your daughter, Señora," Elle answered calmly. Before the woman could answer, a man walked down the front steps, looking very agitated.

"Rosa, que pasa aquí?" he shouted the woman.

"Estas mujeres son policia. Quieren tomárla al hospital," Rosa explained hastily to the man, pointing to her daughter still seated on the gurney. The man looked from Elle to his wife and back again. Elle looked over and the red stain on the girl's ornate white dress became visible.

"Señor, please," Elle begged. He let out a huff.

"Sí. But I don't want anyone touching her," the girl's father finally responded.

"Gracias," Elle said and headed back to join Olivia.

"The father gave us consent to take her to the hospital but there is no way we're going to get him to agree to let us do an SAE kit on her," Elle informed her partner in a hushed tone.

"Do you know who called this in?" she asked him.

"Dispatch said it was a young woman," the tech replied. Liv thanked him before starting to walk towards the gathering around the side of the small home. Before she could open her mouth she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Excuse me," a young girl said. Liv turned around. The girl looked to be about thirteen.

"I called the ambulance. Marisol is my cousin and I found her in the bathroom. She was crying and bleeding a lot. Please, help her," the girl said quickly in flawless English.

"We're doing everything we can, honey," Olivia promised. She knew they needed to get Marisol to talk about what happened. They needed that SAE kit.

"Olivia, I'll ride with her," Elle called, trying to get the other detective's attention. Liv nodded and followed. Silently, Elle hoped they'd be going back to Bellevue. She didn't necessarily want to talk to Reid but maybe she could cool off enough to convince him to call Gideon and tell him what was going on.

To Elle internal disappointment they did not end up at Bellevue. The EMT tech rushed Marisol out of the ambulance and into a private room. Elle sat next to the girl. Marisol looked terrified. She knew she'd heard someone say the girl's name. Elle thought it was Marisol.

"Marisol," Elle spoke tentatively, trying to get the girl's attention. The fifteen-year-old looked over at the detective, her eyes red from crying.

"Hablas ingles?" Elle asked. Marisol nodded slowly.

"I need you to tell me what happened," the former FBI agent said gently.

"I don't want to," Marisol replied.

"I know its hard honey, but we can't help you if you don't tell us what happened," Elle explained.

"It was my quinceañera and I danced with Papa…the first dance. In Spanish tradition I am now a woman," Marisol began. Elle smiled, remembering her own sweet 15 party.

"We had a mariachi band play. I go inside to go to the bathroom and someone grabs me. I didn't see his face," she continued, tearing up again. By that point Olivia had arrived.

"Did he…rape you?" Olivia asked, causing Marisol to look up. She bit her lip but nodded slowly. Liv gave Elle a look that said 'we need to talk'.

"We will be right back," Elle murmured, standing and following Liv outside the room.

"What's up?" Elle asked.

"I sent Elliot and Fin over to the house to take a look around and get a list of all the people at the party," Olivia explained.

"Well that cuts down on the work we have to do," Elle said with a small smile.

"We still need to get an SAE kit on her," Liv pressed.

"I know. As long as Marisol understands what is being done and she agrees, we can do the kit," Elle responded. She may not have been in New York for that long but she knew standard protocol.

"I'll go get the nurse," Liv sighed as Elle went back into the room.

"Marisol, we want to have a nurse look at you," Elle began.

"Why?" the girl asked.

"We want to collect any evidence the man that did this may have left. It will help us find out who did this and stop him from hurting anyone else," she answered.

"Will you let the nurse examine you?" she questioned as Liv and a nurse returned.

"Yes," Marisol answered after a long pause.

"Do you want one of us to stay here with you?" Liv asked. Marisol thought for a minute and nodded.

"Can you stay with me?" she addressed Elle.

"Of course," she responded.

"I'll see you back at the station," Liv called as she headed out. Just then her cell began to ring.

"Benson," she answered.

"Liv, it's Elliot. We just finished checking the scene out. It definitely went down in the bathroom. We got some blood and semen on the toilet seat rim," Elliot spoke into the other end.

"What about the list of guests?" Liv asked, searching for her car keys.

"We're working on that. The father said he would drop it off at the precinct when he found it," Elliot expounded, sounding kind of annoyed at the fact.

"Ok. I'll see you back at the station. A nurse is doing an SAE kit on the victim and Elle is staying with her," Liv said and hung up.

Some twenty-five minutes later, thanks to traffic, Liv pulled into the garage across from the precinct. Elliot and Fin had gotten back to the station as well and were starting to put together all the evidence they had so far.

"How's the girl?" Fin asked as soon as he saw Liv walk in.

"She's pretty shaken up," Liv answered. She got as far as her desk when Elliot tossed something at her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Something Bellevue sent over. Tox screen for some guy named Spencer Reid," Elliot answered.

"Right. I forgot I had them send these over," Liv muttered to herself.

"That another case of yours?" Fin inquired.

"Not exactly. We found him passed out. It's kind of complicated. I'd say ask Elle but she'd probably take your head off," Liv explained. Both of the other detectives just shook their heads. They weren't sure they wanted to know what had happen between Liv and Elle on their little lunch date.


	5. Where in the World

**Where in the World **

Elle arrived back at the precinct some forty minutes later with the SAE evidence kit. She walked in to find everyone but Elliot gone. She frowned suspiciously as she se the evidence on her desk.

"Where did Olivia and Fin go?" she asked the other detective.

"Fin cut out early to go see his son. Liv went out to get some coffee," Elliot answered, looking up from his computer screen.

"But she'll be back right?" Elle questioned. Elliot nodded and the new detective heaved a little sigh of relief.

"Did they get anything with the rape kit?" Elliot finally asked as Elle sat down at her own desk.

"There were some sperm cells so the lab is checking to see if they get any hits," Elle answered.

"Other than that she's ok?" he prodded.

"Well she's got some bruises and cuts. She's still pretty shaken up," Elle answered. It was then that she noticed the package sitting on Olivia's desk. The name caught her attention immediately.

"Did Bellevue send that over?" she inquired.

"Yeah a few hours ago," the other cop muttered with a shrug. He thought about asking Elle was it was regarding but he remembered Olivia telling him the rookie would take his head off. Elle pulled the witness statement from her bag and began reading over it. She had had to take down some of it because Marisol's English was not entirely correct. The girl had gone inside to use the bathroom when she had been grabbed from behind and assaulted. She didn't see her attacker's face.

"How'd it go at the hospital?" Olivia asked, walking in with a cup of coffee.

"What, none for me?" Elliot teased. Liv just rolled her eyes at her partner.

"It went fine. I took her statement and the lab is working on the DNA analysis," Elle answered, handing the report to Liv.

The squad room grew quiet as all three detectives stared at their respective computer screens. Liv sipped her coffee as she browsed Marisol's statement. It seemed pretty straight forward. Just as Elle was about to get up, footsteps echoed on the hard floor.

"Perdóneme. I looking for Detective Stabler," a voice called out. All three detectives spun around in their chairs.

"I'm Stabler," Elliot said, getting up and meeting the man halfway to the desk.

"I have the guests to my hija's quinceañera," the man stated, handing the list to Elliot.

"Thank you very much sir for your cooperation," Stabler said, thanking the man one more time.

"Señor, your wife picked up your daughter at the hospital," Elle called. The man gave her a smile and disappeared down the stairs.

"This should help narrow down our suspects," Liv sighed, snatching the list from her partner's hand.

"Hey, do you guys mind if I get out of here. There's something I need to do," Elle said, interrupting her colleagues.

"Sure. Go ahead," Elliot answered. Elle grabbed her bag and keys and disappeared as well.

"So you want to tell me what this is about?" Elliot whispered.

"What what's about?" Liv countered.

"This whole Spencer Reid thing," El expounded.

"I told you, ask Elle about it. It's her business," Liv muttered, reaching for her coffee cup again.

Elle climbed into her car and sped off down the crowded street, on her way back to Bellevue. She needed to apologize to Reid. Sure she was still really mad that he had not told Hotch and Gideon about his problem but then again, she hadn't told them about hers either. She pulled up to a red light, her right hand toying with the chain around her neck. She pulled it out of her shirt, eying the engagement ring on the end. She'd taken to wearing it on a chain so as not to draw attention to it. The light turned green and she pressed down on the gas.

Some two hundred and seventy miles away, the members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit gathered in the meeting room. JJ was seated for once, not organizing and putting up crime scene photos. They had recently gotten back from a case in Texas. Morgan and Emily were playing cards. Gideon and Hotch walked in and everyone looked up. The cards disappeared into Morgan's pocket and JJ stood.

"You all did good last night," Hotch commended his team. It had been a difficult case. It felt a little awkward without Reid around. He'd informed the team about two weeks ago that he was flying out to Las Vegas to see his mother. No one had questioned it.

"Hey, has anyone heard from Reid lately?" Emily asked. She may still be new to the team but she missed Reid. She respected his intellect and even found his little physics magic tricks amusing.

"No," Gideon answered for the whole team.

"He said he's call though, right?" Morgan added.

"I'm sure he's fine," Hotch stated. He tried not to act worried around the team. But he knew deep down they were all worried that he hadn't called to say he had made it to Vegas.

"We really need the kid back. I never really realized how much we rely on him," Morgan sighed.

"JJ, give Reid a call and see where he is," Gideon ordered. JJ nodded and grabbed her cell phone. She hit the number 4 button and the phone began to auto dial Reid's cell number. After a few rings it went straight to voice mail.

"Went straight to voice mail," she announced. Gideon leaned over, hitting the speaker button on the intercom phone.

"Garcia…can you check Reid's credit card history for plane flights?" he asked.

"Sure…but why?" the blond computer tech replied.

"We just need to know he made it to Vegas," Gideon explained.

"Got it," she muttered and her fingers flew over the keys.

"Oh…found it. Looks like he took a flight out of here two weeks ago to… New York. He had a connecting flight the two days later to Vegas," she began to relay information to the rest of the team. Everyone in the conference room exchanged confused looks. Why couldn't he just take a direct flight to Vegas?

"Hang on; I'm accessing the flight records. It says here…Reid never got on the plane to Vegas," she said, sounding shocked.

"Thank you Garcia," Hotch said as he looked at the rest of his team.

"So what…we fly to New York and look for him?" Morgan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Not yet. Keep calling. If there's no response by tomorrow. We'll go," Gideon said calmly.

"You sure, man? I mean there could a hundred reasons our boy didn't get on that plane," Derek protested.

"And we can't risk a repeat of the Tobias Henkel fiasco," JJ interjected.

"I'm sure he is fine," Gideon sighed.

Back in New York, Elle pulled into the Bellevue parking garage and made her way up to the floor where Reid was. She walked past the nurse's station, flashing her badge as the woman seated there and stopped at Reid's door. She peered in, he was asleep. At least he appeared to be. She slipped inside, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. Elle just gazed at him for a moment before pulling open the drawer and grabbing a pen and piece of paper. She scribbled a note on it and slowly unclasped the chain around her neck. She slid the ring off and placed next to the note.

"I'm sorry, Spencer," she breathed as she walked away.


	6. Across the Line

**Across the Line**

A couple of days had gone by and the squad was still waiting on the DNA results for Marisol's case. The caseload had been light. Elle was sitting at her desk, browsing her email when her phone began to vibrate, skittering across her desk. She looked at the number and opened the phone, only to shut it again. She was not in the mood to talk to Reid today. Liv looked over and noticed her colleague's demeanor.

"You ok?" Liv asked, rolling her chair over to Elle's desk.

"Just stressed I guess. I don't know what is taking so long on the DNA," Elle answered. It was partly the truth. Liv nodded but could tell that it wasn't all that was bothering the new detective.

"How are things with Spencer?" she asked tentatively.

"Not good. I…we were engaged," Elle blurted.

"You never wore a ring," Liv commented.

"Not on my finger. I wrote it on a chain. But….I couldn't say I'd marry him in the state that he's in now. So I left the ring there with a note. It's not a 'no'. Not exactly. It's more of a 'we'll see'. I feel like a complete bitch for doing it," Elle rambled.

"You did what you felt was best for you. That's all you can do. If he really loves you he'll understand," Liv tried to console her friend.

"I hope so. He keeps calling and I keep avoiding. I'm just not ready for this screaming match," Elle sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Maybe it will just blow over," Liv offered just as Warner walked in, an envelope in her hands. She gave it to Elle.

"Thanks, Melinda," Liv called as the ME began to walk away.

"No problem. Sorry it took so long," she answered, disappearing down the stairs.

Elle opened the envelope and peered at the results. She looked surprised but tired to hide it so Liv wouldn't question her. She knew what this meant. They matched four cases in New Mexico in the 1980s. That meant it was federal jurisdiction.

"Well…do we have any hits?" Liv probed.

"He wasn't in the system," Elle muttered. Before Liv could ask any more questions the phone rang. Liv picked it up and quickly took something down.

"We have another rape victim," Liv sighed. Elle left the DNA evidence on her desk, trying to cover it up with some other papers and folders.

They were on scene in roughly eight minutes. There was a large crowd like before and the EMS technician was trying to calm the victim down. Elle leaned over as they pulled up.

"Looks like another quinceañera," she muttered.

"Yeah…great," Liv groaned. The pair climbed from the car and approached the victim and her parents.

"Hola, Señora, que pasa aqui?" Elle asked.

"Mi hija…ella fue violada," the girl's mother answered between sobs.

"Señora, quiere cabalgar con su hija al hospital?" Elle continued to ask.

"Si, gracias," the mother sniffled.

"I'll ride," Liv informed her partner.

Elle watched as Liv and the girl's mother climbed in the ambulance. That had gone a lot smoother than Marisol had. Elle was glad that the girl's mother at least recognized the importance of getting her daughter medical attention. She began looking for someone she could talk to about getting a guest list.

"Señor, esta el padre de la familia?" she asked a burly looking man with a mustache.

"Si," he answered bluntly.

"Hablas ingles?" she continued and he nodded.

"Do you have a list of guests for your daughter's party?" she asked.

"Si. One minute," he said, disappearing into the house. He returned minutes later with the list.

"Gracias," Elle said and reached for her phone as it had begun to ring.

"Greenaway," she spoke into the phone.

"You finally pick up," Reid said from the other end.

"I can't talk right now. I'm in the middle of an investigation," Elle said sharply, walking away from the crowd.

"Well get someone else to cover for you. We need to talk, Elle," Reid countered, his tone as sharp as hers.

"I can't…" Elle protested.

"I need to see you," Reid said and the call ended. Elle sighed and called Elliot and Fin. She knew they would at least cover for her at the scene.

Shortly before Elliot got the call from Elle, he was walking by her desk and picked up the evidence envelope. He looked at the results, immediately bringing them to Cragen.

"Captain, take a look at this," Elliot said, handing the document over to Cragen.

"Looks like I have a call to make," Cragen sighed. He never liked having to call in higher powers to handle his cases.

Down in Virginia, JJ's phone began to ring. She picked it up.

"Jennifer Jareau," she spoke.

"Agent Jareau, this is Captain Don Cragen from Manhattan Special Victims. I think we have a case here that falls into your jurisdiction," Cragen said. He went on to explain the details of the case.

"Alright. We will be there in a few hours," JJ said, hanging up. She saw Hotch walking past her office and snagged him.

"We have a case in New York City," she informed the SSA.

"Brief us on the plane. We leave in twenty," Hotch said, going to alert the rest of the team.

Some twenty minutes later the BAU team was on their way to New York City. JJ was briefing them as best she could without any documentation.

"So this guy calls, says he has a case he needs our help on but doesn't bother faxing anything over?" Morgan asked, sounding annoyed.

"He says it will all be waiting for us when we get there," JJ answered.

"I guess I'll ask the question. Are we going to look for Reid while we're here?" Emily asked.

"We'll find him," Gideon answered calmly.

Back in New York, Elle was just leaving the scene, having waited for Elliot and Fin to arrive. She pulled into the hospital parking garage and walked the familiar path to Reid's room. She found him sitting up. He was reading her note.

"Well I'm here," she said, shrugging her shoulders as if the ask 'what do you want now?'

"Why did you do this?" he asked, holding up the note.

"I had to do what was best for me," she began.

"Elle we were supposed to get married in two months," Reid spat.

"I'm sorry, Spencer. But right now I can't be with you. You're not the man I promised to marry," Elle shot back.

"What do you want from me then?" he shouted.

"I want you to get better. I want you to get help. Don't make the same mistakes I did," she breathed, having to fight away tears. He motioned for her to sit next to him on the bed. She did so and let him wrap his arm around her.

"We make a pretty good pair then don't we," he muttered, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah we do. It's not 'no'. It's just 'not right now'," she breathed, kissing his forehead just as her phone began to ring.

"I have to take this," she said with a sniff. They parted with a kiss and she took her call out in the hallway.

"Greenaway," she spoke, trying to reduce the tremor in her voice.

"Captain needs you back at the precinct. He's got an announcement," Liv explained from the other end.

"Be right there," Elle said and hung up, heading for her car.

Ten minutes later she walked into the squad room to see the backs of four familiar people. They turned around at her footfalls and gasps rang throughout the room.

"Who called them?" Elle managed to get out.

"I did," Cragen answered, stepping from his office.


	7. Tug of War

**Tug of War**

Elle stared at the five people before her. It had been almost nine months since she'd seen most of them. It was clear they weren't expecting to see her there either. Elliot and Olivia exchanged a confused look. Why would Elle know these particular FBI agents?

"Elle, what are you doing here?" Morgan asked.

"I'm working, Morgan," Elle answered sharply as she sat down at her desk. She proceeded to pull an envelope from her bag. She'd seen Melinda on her way in.

"Detective, what are you doing?" Cragen asked.

"Trying to find the sick bastard who is after these girls," Elle answered.

"This is FBI jurisdiction now," Hotch said as calmly as he could. How could Elle still be working in the law enforcement field, especially after the circumstances of her BAU departure? He hadn't received any request for a letter of recommendation. He tapped Gideon's shoulder and pulled him aside.

"Did you help her get this job?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"No. Did you?" Gideon replied and Hotch shook his head in the negative.

"No….we'll have to deal with that later. Right now we need to find out what we can about this case," Hotch whispered as he and Gideon rejoined the group.

"What can you tell us about the case?" JJ asked, addressing Liv. Before Liv could open her mouth Elle spoke.

"Two girls, Marisol Vasquez and Lupe Hernandez, both fifteen were raped within the last week. Both were assaulted at their quinceañeras," Elle began, handing JJ the pictures of the two girls.

"The DNA in both cases were a match but the unsub wasn't in the system," she continued, not catching her use of the FBI coined term.

"Unsub?" Fin asked.

"Unknown Subject….the perp," Elle answered. Before she could say another word, Gideon cut her off.

"Thank you. You are aware that the DNA matches four other cases," he stated.

"Clearly. That's why you're here," Elle shot. These were her cases.

"Alright, we need to get a working profile going," Hotch addressed the team. Liv saw Elle shoot the SSA a dark look and decided she needed to intervene before Cragen put her on desk duty.

"Hey can I talk to you for a minute?" Liv whispered in Elle's ear. The two women put some distance between themselves and the rest of the goings on of the squad room.

"You need to calm down. You're about this close to Cragen putting you on desk duty for talking back," Liv informed Elle.

"I know these people, Olivia. I know how they work. We don't need them," Elle retorted.

"Why do you have such a grudge against them?" Liv inquired.

"Not all of them….just Hotch. Look, Olivia, I used to be them. I was in the BAU up until seven months ago," Elle admitted.

"You were a Fed? Why didn't you tell us?" Liv gasped.

"Because I was trying to put that part of my life behind me as far as I could," Elle explained.

"So…what are they going to do next?" Liv asked.

"They need to come up with a preliminary profile of the unsub. We're looking for a male probably in his late thirties or early forties. Most likely of Hispanic descent," Elle answered, falling back in the thought process quite easily.

"We need to cross-check the two guest lists. See if anyone appears on both," the former FBI agent continued. Liv nodded and retrieved the two guest lists. Together they began pouring over them. Emily had watched the interaction between Hotch and Elle. She could tell Elle had some very strong negative feelings towards Hotch. Slowly she began to walk over to where the two detectives were leaning over Liv's desk.

"Excuse me," she said politely. Liv and Elle both looked up.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Emily Prentiss," Emily said, extending her hand to Elle.

"My replacement. I hear you're good," Elle said, flashing the woman a smile and shaking her hand.

"Guest lists?" Emily queried, indicating the papers.

"Yeah. We've cross-checked them. Only three common invites," Liv answered. She took one list and Elle took the other. Liv immediately crossed off one of the names on her list. It couldn't be their suspect, it was a woman. She pulled up the internet and searched for the name Jorje Santos. The page refreshed, providing his current address, Photo ID as well as birth date and social security number. It looked like he fit the description Elle had just given her. Elle groaned, having no luck with the name she'd taken.

"I think I have something, Elle," Olivia said, hitting the print button on the browser. She got up and retrieved the two pages, handing them over.

"Jorje Santos," Elle read, scanning the list she had.

"He was one of the mariachi players," she noted.

"Let's go pick him up," Liv said and both women grabbed their coats.

"Where are you two going?" Cragen called.

"To pick up a suspect," Elle answered.

"Prentiss, go with them," Hotch ordered. Emily nodded and followed the two detectives out. As they climbed into Liv's car, Elle felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her at Emily.

"You know Spencer Reid, right?" Emily asked.

"Yeah…why is something wrong?" Elle answered, trying to feign innocence.

"We don't know. He flew to New York a little while ago on his way to Las Vegas but never made it there," Emily expounded. Elle bit her lip. She had no reason not to trust this woman. She seemed nice enough.

"He's at Bellevue. He's recovering from a drug overdose," Elle finally admitted.

"Drug overdose?" Emily rasped. What the hell had Reid done?

"Just…don't tell Gideon or Hotch that I told you that. Spencer would freak out," Elle added as an afterthought. The car fell silent as they pulled up to Jorje Santos' apartment building. Liv checked the apartment number and they headed up. Elle knocked twice on the door but they got no answer.

"Señor Santos, somos de la policia. Necesitamos hablar con usted," Elle called out. Behind Emily just looked impressed at her flawless Spanish. Elle continued to bang on the door until another opened and a young boy walked out. He appeared about nine or ten years old.

"Excuse me. Señor Santos is not home. He works at a newspaper stand," the boy informed then.

"Which stand? Do you know?" Emily asked.

"On Lexington somewhere. I see him sometimes after school when I walk home," he answered with a shrug.

"Gracias," Elle said and they headed towards the stairs.

"This is going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Liv griped as they climbed back into her car and headed for Lexington.


	8. Search and Seizure

**Search and Seizure**

Olivia's car slowed as they turned onto Lexington. All three women had their eye out for anyone who looked like it could be Jorje Santos. Elle's gaze flickered over a man organizing a stack of magazines.

"Stop…I think that's him," she said, pointing to the man. Liv slowed the car to a stop and Elle unbuckled her seatbelt.

"So de we engage him?" Emily asked as they climbed out of the car. Liv just nodded and walks towards the man.

"Excuse me, are you Jorje Santos?" Liv asked. The man seemed to ignore her. Elle could tell by the small changes in his facial expression that he had heard and understood the question.

"Señor, se llama Jorje Santos?" Elle questioned forcefully.

"Como te ayudo Señora?" he asked, making eye contact.

"Tenemos algunas preguntas para usted," she answered.

"Sobre que?" he responded.

"Señor Santos, conoce estas jovenes?" Liv asked, holding up Marisol and Lupe's photographs. He nodded in recognition. He took a deep breath and licked his lips. Emily watched him closely.

"I play for their quinceañeras," he said in slow English.

Elle caught Liv's eye and saw she was going to ask him to join them at the station for questioning. Elle just mouthed the words 'no' at her partner.

"Thank you. We're sorry for taking up your time," Elle said and led the other two women back towards the car.

"What was that about?" Emily asked.

"We don't want to scare him off. We'll watch him, see if we can snag DNA the old fashioned way…a coffee cup or piece of gum," Elle answered. Just then Emily's phone began to ring.

"Prentiss," she answered.

"Emily, It's Morgan. How's it going?" Morgan replied.

"Good…we're staking out the suspect. Oh, is Gideon around?" she answered. She looked in front of her but Elle seemed not to be paying attention. She hoped she could sneak the information past the former agent.

"And I found out where Reid is. He's at Bellevue," she said as softly as she could.

"How the hell did our boy land himself in the hospital?" Morgan asked.

"Just…tell Gideon ok. I'll see you all later," Emily said and hung up the phone. Olivia suddenly started the car and headed down the street, keeping a safe distance behind Jorje. They followed him a few blocks where he stopped at a drug store.

"Give us something we can get DNA from," Elle breathed just as he walked out and opened a pack of cigarettes. He lit up, leaning against the front window of the store. He didn't seem to notice the car idly a few feet away. He took a few more puffs on the cigarette and dropped it, putting it out with the heel of his shoe before heading back the way he'd come. Elle climbed from the car and pulled a glove from her pocket. She bent down and picked up the smoldering cigarette butt. She couldn't help but smile as she climbed back in.

"Let's get this over to Melinda so she can do a DNA comparison," she told her partner. Liv sped off, making a quick u-turn and headed for the morgue.

Elle paced as Melinda ran the DNA from the cigarette butt against the DNA collected from both rape scenes.

"It takes a minute," Melinda said, noting Elle's demeanor.

"I just want to find this sick bastard and put him where he belongs," Elle sighed.

Emily's hands rested in her pockets as they awaited the results. Finally she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"So…the rest of the team doesn't really talk about why you left," she commented offhandedly to Elle.

"They don't know the whole story…and I don't want to discuss it," Elle answered, jumping as the printer spit out their results.

"Well…this is definitely you're guy," Melinda said. Both Liv and Elle cracked smiles.

Back at the precinct Morgan was trying to find the best way to relay the information that Emily had given him to Gideon. He looked over to see Hotch following the police captain into his office.

"Is something wrong, Agent?" Don asked, sitting down behind his desk.

"I was just wondering who gave a letter of recommendation for Elle," Hotch answered.

"Her former boss out in Seattle," Don answered. He gave Hotch a confused look.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because that was not her last place of employment. Up until 7 months ago she was in my unit," Hotch explained.

"She was a Fed?" Cragen remarked, eliciting the same reaction Liv had earlier when Elle had told her.

"She was involved in a suspect death and she chose to leave the Bureau. She should have informed you of all this," Hotch answered. Don stood up and poked his head out the doorway. Elle, Liv and Emily had just walked in.

"Greenaway, my office, now," he called. She handed Liv the results and slowly walked towards Cragen's office. She caught sight of Hotch sitting here and knew it could not be good.

"Sit," Cragen ordered. Elle complied, not making eye contact with her former superior.

"Agent Hotchner tells me you were involved in a suspect shooting," Don began.

"I suppose that is all he told you," Elle said as calmly as she could. He nodded.

"Then he failed to mention that two months prior to the incident I was shot in my own home upon his orders to leave the office," Elle spat.

"So you're admitting you weren't ready to come back for the Lee case," Hotch interrupted.

"This isn't about the William Lee case, Hotch. This is about you making a decision when you know we'd fucked up. We were dealing with a psychopath. You knew he knew everything about us," Elle accused.

"That's enough," Don bellowed.

"I sent you home with the expectation that the agent would stay with you. I cannot control another person's actions," Hotch countered, ignoring Cragen.

"Face it, Hotch. You're losing grip of your team. And you better get a hold of it fast or else someone is going to come along and you're going to fall apart at the seams," Elle hissed, getting up and walking out.

She walked straight past the other agents and detectives and grabbed her keys and jackets. Without so much as a word she disappeared. Gideon turned to look at Morgan.

"What did you need to tell me?" he asked.

"Emily found out that Reid is in Bellevue. I figure we should head over there try and find out what happened," Morgan answered. Gideon nodded and he signaled for JJ to let Hotch know.

Some twenty minutes later the BAU team was walking up the hallway towards Reid's room. They found him tying his shoes. He looked up, obviously startled to see them there.

"How'd you find me?" he asked, brushing a lock of hair out of his face.

"Elle told us," Gideon answered.

"So…you saw her," he breathed and they nodded.

"What are you guys doing here?" Reid asked, getting up and gathering his things.

"We're working a case with their Special Victims unit," Gideon answered and Reid visibly cringed.

"Good luck trying to pry that out of her hands," he said, cracking a small smile.

"So why were you here?" Emily asked.

"Guess she left that part up to me," he sighed. He bit his lip and stopped walking. The team stopped and faced him.

"I…I stole the drugs Tobias was injecting me with…I've been using for a while. I overdosed and if it weren't for Elle I'd probably be dead. But I've been clean the last few days and I've already checked myself into an outpatient facility for the next month and a half here in New York," he said in one long breath.

"Where you going to stay?" Hotch asked.

"That's what I need to go take care of," Reid answered.

With that they watched him walk out of the hospital. How had they not seen this right under their noses?

"How could we not have seen this?" Morgan asked.

"The same way we couldn't see Elle's problem," Gideon answered.

"We can see the problems and flaws of the most dangerous creatures the human race has ever seen. But we are blind to those chinks in our own armor," he concluded.


	9. La historia de mi hermana

**La historia de mi hermana**

That night seemed to drag on for Elle. She was staring at the TV, some new channel on. It was just sound in the background. How could Hotch just drag up her past like that? He had no business doing that. She tossed back another drink. She knew she should stop but she couldn't be bothered. Her ears pricked up as she heard a loud knocking. Groaning, Elle stood on wobbly legs and answered it.

"Spencer," she said, sounding surprised.

"Hi…they discharged me…obviously...um…can I come in?" he babbled.

"Sure, sure. Come on in…you want something to drink?" she offered.

"No…I'm fine. How much have you had tonight?" he replied, helping her back onto the couch.

"Does it matter?" she asked, fixing him with a glare. He immediately took the glass from her hand.

"Yes, it matters, Elle. What's wrong…you only ever get this drunk when something is wrong," he said, pulling her close. Instead of answering she curled up and kissed his cheek.

"Hotch is an ass," she finally said.

"Elle," Reid started but she cut him off.

"No fucking right to tell my boss about the Lee case," she continued, her voice rising in volume.

"You're right…he didn't. But he brought it up. If it makes you feel any better the team knows about my drug problem. We're both out in the open about it now," he reassured her.

"Will you stay tonight?" Elle asked, stifling a yawn.

"I'd like to stay every night," he murmured. She gave a consenting sigh and he carried her to bed.

The following morning Elle woke up to her alarm and immediately climbed out of bed. Her head was pounding but she was more determined than ever to nail this sick bastard. Reid rolled out of bed just as she was pulling on a clean shirt.

"Morning," she greeted, kissing him on the lips.

"You're relative coherent…" he commented with a smirk.

"Oh I had a question for you," he added as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Yeah? Like what?" she answered.

"I checked myself into an outpatient drug rehab facility here in the city and I need a place to stay," he explained.

Elle smiled, reaching behind her and into his pants pocket. She pulled out her engagement ring, sliding it onto her left ring finger.

"We're back on," she remarked, failing to hide the broad grin overtaking her lips.

"I'll make breakfast," he offered and headed for the kitchen. They shared a quick breakfast before heading out. Elle dropped Reid off at the rehab center.

"Good luck," she called out the rolled down passenger side window.

"You too," he replied, waving her off. She headed for the station, praying Liv had talked to Casey and gotten the warrant for Santos' apartment. She walked in to see just the SVU squad.

"I didn't scare them all away did I?" she asked jokingly.

"They're in with Cragen. Come on, let's go pick up this guy," Liv answered. Elle merely nodded and followed after Olivia. They were halfway to the apartment building when Olivia chose to speak.

"What happened yesterday? Cragen was really pissed that you bailed," Liv remarked, slowing down at a stop sign.

"Hotch just dragged some things up that I'd rather he not have done. But Cragen knows now so I guess I just wait and see what happens," she sighed in response.

"It must have been serious," Liv murmured.

"We were working a case and the unsub knew all kinds of things about us…our hobbies, where we lived. Hotch sent me home and the guy shot me. I almost died. I guess I have some issues with blaming him," Elle responded as they reached the building.

"You get the warrant from Novak?" Elle questioned as they ascended the stairs. Liv flashed the document at her partner and they knocked Jorje's door. He opened it after a few knocks.

"Buenos dias, Señoras," he greeted.

"Jorje Santos, usted está detenido para la violación de Marisol Vasquez y Lupe Hernandez," Elle said, cuffing the man on the spot. She radioed for a squad car to take him to the station and continued reading his rights. Liv walked into the apartment, checking to make sure no one else was there. She began looking around, noting a large calendar taped to the fridge. She heard footsteps behind her some five minutes later and turned, gun drawn, only to see Elle.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Elle apologized as she looked at the calendar.

"Moreno quinceañera on the twenty first," Elle read.

"He's got about five other dates marked for this month," Liv breathed. She donned gloves and pulled the calendar off the metal surface. Elle went to explore the rest of the apartment.

"Liv you better come here and see this," Elle shouted from the living room area. Liv placed the calendar on the counter and followed Elle's voice. She found her partner standing in front of a shrine. There were photographs of a young girl, around 14 or 15. Elle picked up one of the photographs and turned it over. The name Elena Maria Marquez was written on the back.

"Come on, let's bag this and head over to the station and take a crack at this guy," Liv said, pulling Elle away from the collection of photographs.

They walked into interrogation room one to find Jorje seated, looking uncomfortable. Elle set the New Mexico files down as well as the two New York cases.

"So Jorje…you like to rape young girls?" she asked, pushing the six photographs towards him. He looked at them and panic radiated from his gaze.

"You do not understand, Señora," he answered.

"No? Then explain it to me," Elle spat. Liv pulled out the picture they'd taken from his mantle place.

"Who is Elena Maria Marquez? Was she your first?" Liv demanded.

"No! Elena…she is my sister," Jorje answered, looking disgusted.

"She was killed…two days before her quinceañera…" he murmured, fighting back tears.

Outside the interrogation room, Hotch, Gideon and Emily were watching. Hotch was trying to figure out what the suspect's stressor was. Unfortunately Elle beat him to it.

"That's why you started raping, wasn't it. You couldn't protect your little sister and so you decided that if she couldn't have her quinceañera, then no other girl should either. Is that it?" Elle demanded.

"Si, Señora. Lo siento…pero ella es mi hermanita. Ella es familia," he sobbed, lapsing into Spanish.

Elle looked at him and stood up, walking out. She walked right past the agents watching. She could understand where he was coming from and it scared her. She never associated with the unsub, never.

"You ok?" Emily asked, following her.

"Yeah….I just…I know where he's coming from," Elle answered, taking a deep breath.

"When did you figure it out?" Hotch's voice rang out.

"As soon as he said she was his sister. I figure he started raping again because the girls in his neighborhood were planning their parties. His memory was triggered," Elle answered civilly.

"So why did he stop raping…that's he question we've yet to answer," Gideon commented. Just then Liv appeared.

"My guess is that he almost got caught and he got scared so he ran. He just told me he changed his name when he came to New York in 1986. His real name is Eduardo Leon Marquez," Olivia supplied.

"Good work you two," Cragen said, giving the detectives a smile. Emily followed Liv and Elle back into the squad room.

"Reid was right…you held on tight to this case," Emily commented.

"Don't you hold on to your cases too?" Elle asked and Emily shook her head.

"Hang around a while and you will," she told the newer agent and walked away.


	10. On the Downtown Corner

**On the Downtown Corner**

Three weeks had gone by since Elle and Liv had arrested Jorje Santos, formerly Eduardo Leon Marquez for the rapes of Marisol and Lupe. His trial was concluding today and Elle was eager to hear his sentence. She knew they would have to send him down to New Mexico to be tried for the four rapes he'd committed in the 1980s but she would be satisfied.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Elizabeth Donnelly," the bailiff bellowed. The entire courtroom stood and Liz walked in, motioning for them to sit down.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" she addressed the foreperson.

"We have your Honor. On the first count of rape we find the defendant guilty," the foreperson answered.

"And on the second count of rape we also find the defendant guilty," he read.

"Thank you. The jury is dismissed with the court's thanks," Liz said and the twelve jurors exited the room.

"As is my duty, I remand the defendant to the custody of the Albuquerque police department for further trial and sentencing," she said, slamming her gavel down, dismissing court.

Liv and Elle walked out, both grinning. They were met by Reid. He and Elle exchanged a brief kiss as they walked out o the court room.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"They found him guilty on both counts. He's being sent to New Mexico to stand trial," Elle answered, her hand linked with his.

"Hey I'll see you two later," Olivia called, heading towards her car. Elle waved and the pair continued down the street. The walked in silence for a few blocks.

"I've been meaning to ask you something for a while," Elle finally said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why did you come to New York in the first place? I didn't tell you I'd moved," she responded.

"I came to find my father. I…I hallucinated about him…when he left us," Reid admitted. His time in the rehab facility was almost up and he'd be going back to Quantico.

"Did you find him?" she asked hesitantly.

"I found his address but I never made it there. Will you come with me?" he answered. Elle nodded. She finally spotted where she'd parked her car and they climbed in. Reid gave her the address and they maneuvered the busy city streets. As they waited at a red light, Elle flicked on the radio.

"And just this morning the Quinceañera Rapist as the police have dubbed him, was found guilty on both counts of rape. He stands trial in New Mexico in the coming months," the reporter announced. Elle groaned and shut it off.

"I don't need to hear any more about the case. It's over," she sighed as the light changed. Some twenty minutes later they pulled up to a nice brick house. Reid climbed out and Elle followed. They made their way up the front steps and he knocked three times. Footsteps could be heard from within and the door was pulled open.

"Dad," Reid said, starting to choke up.

"Spencer?" William Reid remarked, taking in the young man before him.

"My God, it's you," he breathed, ushering his son inside. Elle followed quietly.

"What are you doing in New York?" William asked, sitting down on the couch. Reid and Elle took seats in the chairs facing the couch.

"I actually was looking for you," Reid answered.

"I…I joined the FBI a few years ago," he added.

"No kidding. You always were a genius. Too smart for your age though if you ask me," he said.

"I think…we need to talk. About the day you left," Reid breathed.

"What's to talk about?" William asked.

"You let me with my mentally ill mother who I took care of from the time I was twelve until I turned eighteen and committed her to an institution. Don't you think that was a little unfair?" Spencer explained, trying to keep his voice even.

"You're right. I shouldn't have just left like that. But I had my reasons. Your mother wasn't taking her medications and you know how she got when she didn't take them," William rebutted.

"That's not an excuse to just cut off contact from your only son for half of his life," Elle interjected.

"Who are you?" William asked.

"You're soon-to-be daughter-in-law," Elle replied coolly.

"I know I wasn't the best father, Spencer and I am sorry for that. But it looks like you turned out just fine with out me," William admitted.

"Thanks…" he trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to tell his father about the drugs.

Just then Elle's phone rang. She quickly excused herself to take the call. She poked her head back in.

"Cragen needs to talk to me…do you want me to swing back and pick you up when I'm done?" she addressed her fiancé.

"No…I'll go with you," Reid answered. He stood, reaching into his bag and pulled out an envelope.

"Here's an invitation to the wedding. I hope you can come," he said as he and Elle left the building.

"You ok?" Elle asked once they were back in the car.

"I will be. I really appreciate you coming with me," Reid answered.

"So you're Mom is going to fly in from Vegas for this?" she questioned with a smile.

She'll survive. Besides I'll just make sure she doesn't see my father," Spencer explained. They pulled into the police parking garage and headed up to the squad room. They parted ways at Cragen's door.

"Have a seat," Cragen said. Elle sat.

"I've talked with Agent Hotchner at length about your history with his unit," Cragen began.

"So should I go back up my stuff?" Elle asked.

"No. He said you are a fine law enforcement officer who gets a little too involved in some cases. You fit right in with the rest of the squad," Cragen answered. That wasn't what Elle was expecting to hear.

"Thank you, Sir," she said, after a minute.

"Just…next time the FBI is called in, let them do their jobs," Cragen added and Elle smiled, giving a nod. On her way out she ran into Hotch.

"Thanks for putting a good word or two," she said.

"We all make mistakes, Elle," Hotch said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Agreed. I guess this is as good a time as any to put this all behind us once and for all," she sighed, offering her hand. He shook it firmly.

"Oh I hope you and the rest of the team are staying around for the weekend. Wouldn't' want you to miss the wedding," Elle called.

"We'll be there. Bullet proof vests and all," he replied.

"Humor is not your forte, Hotch. Don't quit your day job," she chuckled.

Saturday rolled around quickly and Elle was fussing with her veil when Liv walked into the bathroom.

"You look beautiful," her colleague commented.

"Thanks….I'm really nervous that I'm going to mess up," Elle admitted.

"Oh come on you'll do fine. Come on, they're about to start," Olivia assured her, dragging her out into the hallway. They were met by Gideon.

"You look amazing, Elle," he breathed, giving her a quick hug.

"Thanks for walking me down the isle. I know it was short notice," she apologized.

"Your father would be proud of you," Gideon commented just as they started up the isle. Gideon passed Elle off to Reid and the ceremony proceeded without a hitch. Reid looked out at the small gathering. His father had made it and he and his mother were actually sitting together, enjoying themselves.

"Do you, Spencer Reid, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?' the minister asked.

"I do," Reid answered, sliding the thin gold band onto Elle's finger.

"And do you, Elle Greenaway, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" he repeated.

"I do," she repeated and slid the ring onto his finger. They shared their first kiss as husband and wife and raced off down the aisle. As they started the small receiving line Elle couldn't help but smile at each guest. When Hotch reached her he opened his suit jacket. He was wearing his bullet proof vest.

"Cute, Hotch. Really cute," she giggled as she hugged him.

_We can see the problems and flaws of the most dangerous creatures the human race has ever seen. But we are blind to those chinks in our own armor. Only after we have experienced the incredible do we realize our own mortality._


End file.
